Virtex Reaches $2 billion MilestoneNews & Analysis 8/31/2003 Post a commentVirtex, which really consists of five different product families, has been Xilinx's flagship product series for some five years. Virtex was first introduced in October 1998 using a 0.22 µm process, and shipments of this family reached $25 million in August 1999. This was followed with the introduction of the 0.18 µm Virtex E in September 1999. Virtex EM, a limited family with increased embedded memory, was introduced after Virtex E. The company was able to report total Virtex shipmen

Power FET outputs give two-phase stepper motors a boostNews & Analysis 8/28/2003 Post a commentCombining low-power CMOS logic with high-current, high-voltage power FET outputs, the Series SLA706xM translators/drivers from Allegro Microsystems Inc. provides a complete control and drive from a two-phase unipolar stepper motor with pulse-width modulation (PWM) control of the output current in a power multichip module.

Power FET outputs give two-phase stepper motors a boostProduct News 8/28/2003 Post a commentCombining low-power CMOS logic with high-current, high-voltage power FET outputs, the Series SLA706xM translators/drivers from Allegro Microsystems Inc. provides a complete control and drive from a two-phase unipolar stepper motor with pulse-width modulation (PWM) control of the output current in a power multichip module.

Trial begins in bias suit against AMD, SandersNews & Analysis 8/27/2003 Post a commentThe opening arguments will begin today (Aug. 27, 2003) in a bias suit filed by a former executive of Advanced Micro Devices Inc. against AMD and its chairman, W.J. Sanders III, according to a report from the San Jose Mercury News.

Philips' reference design upgrades CRT-based tuners to LCD TVsNews & Analysis 8/27/2003 Post a commentPractically all the consumer electronics manufacturers are "moving into LCD TV sets," says Philips Semiconductors. They are looking for a solution that lets them "jumpstart quickly in the new market." Junko Yoshida reports on a reference design that enables TV set manufacturers to make a quick and painless migration from CRT to mid-end LCD TV designs.

Shortages, price hikes hit flash, MPUs, DVD chipsNews & Analysis 8/26/2003 Post a commentIt only seemed like yesterday when the semiconductor industry was suffering from overcapacity and otherwise lackluster demand for chips. But suddenly, there are signs of spot shortages--and even price hikes--for select parts, such as DVD chips, microprocessors, and NAND-based flash memories.

Getting 12-bits of Resolution out of your 10-bit A/DNews & Analysis 8/26/2003 Post a commentCost sensitive designs benefit from using lower resolution A/Ds and simple signal processing techniques. Including software solutions in you're A/D selection process can reduce your system cost without sacrificing performance. In Part 1 of this multi-part tutorial, FAE Fugerer looks at sample "averaging" as a means of increasing A/D resolution. In Part 2, he examines "oversampling." (Be sure too to look at the Appendix material that accompanies these articles.)

Structured-ASIC debate building in fervorNews & Analysis 8/25/2003 Post a commentA custom-chip design approach that was initially dismissed by critics as a fad is proving to have staying power as system architects increasingly seek a middle ground between cell-based designs and FPGAs. Crista Souza has these insights.

The logic price warsNews & Analysis 8/25/2003 Post a commentDespite tough market conditions and aggressive pricing tactics, suppliers of commodity standard logic remain committed to their products. A number of these companies appear well positioned to take advantage of the industry's next upswing as they continue to expand wafer manufacturing capabilities, shift to larger 6in. wafer sizes for cost advantages, and launch hundreds of new products targeting the growing wireless and handheld sectors.

Danish start-up nibbles on EthernetNews & Analysis 8/25/2003 Post a commentA small Danish engineering firm with roots in Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) is positioning itself as a center of expertise for Metro Ethernet Forum semiconductors and firmware by supplying chipsets, modules, and design assistance for small OEMs moving into Ethernet access.

Tezzaron delivers challenge to SRAM, DRAMNews & Analysis 8/25/2003 Post a commentTezzaron Semiconductor Inc. last week announced a new type of pseudo-static memory technology intended to provide an alternative to embedded SRAM or DRAM in discrete memory ICs and systems-on-chip.

Structured-ASIC debate building in fervorNews & Analysis 8/25/2003 Post a commentA custom-chip design approach that has come to be known as "structured ASIC" was initially dismissed by critics as a fad, but it is proving to have staying power as system architects increasingly seek a middle ground between cell-based designs and FPGAs.

eXtreme Graphics muscles into the mainstream marketNews & Analysis 8/25/2003 Post a commentFresh off its acquisition of Trident Microsystems Inc.'s PC graphics division, Taiwan start-up eXtreme Graphics Innovation (XGI) is expected to field two lines of processors in the fall that will inaugurate its pursuit of the mainstream and high-end markets.

Pressure is on Third-Party Memory IPNews & Analysis 8/20/2003 Post a commentSilicon-proven third-party IP has emerged as a way for fabless
companies to effectively meet market pressures by enabling them to
focus on the portions of the SoC that constitute their core
competencies.

Chip Designers Move Back from Bleeding EdgeNews & Analysis 8/20/2003 Post a commentThe Hot Chips conference, which opens at Stanford
University, has long been the showcase for processors that hit
blistering speeds by way of advanced architecture, bleeding-edge
processes, and full-custom design. But this year two papers will
offer a different perspective, touting unconventional semi-custom
design methodologies that wring the same kind of speed from familiar
architectures and ordinary processes.

Programmable analog chases discrete market pricingNews & Analysis 8/19/2003 Post a commentThis isn't exactly "I told you so." Or maybe it is: Anadigm is dropping the entry price for its programmable analog chips below $5 to be more competitive with the discrete devices that they are designed to replace. Crista Souza reports.